Asking a Vendor for Reliability Data
Selecting as a supplier for components or subsystems involves many aspects including the desired reliability performance.
Once selected the ability of the supplier to provide items that meet or exceed the reliability requirements relies on their understanding of the requirements and operational conditions related to the specific item within the system.
It also relies on the supplier’s knowledge of their own design and manufacturing processes as it related to the reliability performance.
Specifying reliability tasks, such as FMEA, HALT, ALT, demonstration testing, etc.
Does little to actually guarantee the item actually meeting requirements, unless the implementation of the activities is of value to the supplier. The specific activities described in other parts of this section outline how to evaluate the effective application of the activity.
One way to assist suppliers is to not make specific activities requirements.
The objective is to receive items that meet requirements for the end users, not to practice the use of various reliability related tasks.
Instead ask the supplier to provide the accumulated evidence, at specific points in the program, detailing the current estimates related to the reliability requirements.
The evidence presented is at the discretion of the supplier and evaluated by the program for suitability. Does the evidence come to the natural conclusions presented?
They should provide a logical, coherent argument.
This Accendo Reliability webinar originally broadcast on 15 September 2015.
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